Zimbabwe announced last week that it would shift to the Chinese yuan as its reserve currency.
津巴布韦上周宣布将把人民币作为其储备货币。

A reserve currency is a foreign currency held in large quantities by governments and financial institutions to pay international debts.
储备货币是指政府和金融机构大量持有以偿付国际债务的外国货币。

"Reserve currency is held in order to support the value of national currencies," writes Justin Kuepper, international investing expert, on the website International Invest.
国际投资专家在《国际投资》网站上写道，“持有储备货币是为了维持本国货币价值。”

Patrick Chinamasa is Zimbabwe's Minister of Finance and Economic Development. He said China agreed to cancel about $40 million of Zimbabwe's debts this year.
帕特里克·奇纳马萨（Patrick Chinamasa）是津巴布韦财政和经济发展部长。他说，中国今年同意取消津巴布韦4千万美元债务。

He also said the move was a sign of the friendship between China and Zimbabwe, a poor country in southern Africa.
他还表示，此举是中国和津巴布韦这个南部非洲贫穷国家之间友谊的象征。

It is also a sign of the growing economic ties between China and Zimbabwe. China is Zimbabwe's largest foreign investor, with interests ranging from construction and energy to telecommunications.
这也是中国和津巴布韦之间经济联系日益扩大的象征。中国是津巴布韦最大的外国投资者，其兴趣从建筑到能源再到电信行业。

China has also become the largest exporter of Zimbabwean products – mainly tobacco and minerals, such as gold and diamonds.
中国也已经成为了津巴布韦产品最大的出口国，主要出口产品为香烟，以及黄金和钻石等矿产。

Local economists said Zimbabwe is flooded with foreign currencies since the inflated Zimbabwean dollar collapsed in 2009.
当地经济学家表示，自从不断通货膨胀的津巴布韦货币在2009年废止以来，津巴布韦充斥着各种外国货币。

In 2014, the nation's central bank permitted traders to use the U.S. dollar, the South African rand, Botswana's pula, the British pound, the euro, the Australian dollar, the Indian rupee, the Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan.
2014年，该国央行允许交易商使用美元、南非兰特、博茨瓦纳普拉、英镑、欧元、澳元、印度卢比、日元和人民币结算。

Business consultant Phillip Chiconi says this announcement is unlikely to change things for the businessmen with whom he works.
商业咨询师菲利普·驰科尼（Phillip Chiconi）表示，和他做生意的商人不会受到津巴布韦这一决定的影响。

"I don't think it will make much difference to anyone, as we're already using foreign currencies," he said.
他说，“我认为这不会给任何人带来多大变化，因为我们已经在使用外国货币。”

Zimbabwe has allowed the yuan as a legal currency for two years. But Chiconi said he has not seen it used. Instead, most traders prefer the stability of the U.S. dollar, which is being used as the country's major currency.
津巴布韦允许人民币作为法定货币已经两年了。但是驰科尼表示，他并未看到人民币的使用。相反，多数交易商喜欢美元的稳定，美元被用来作为该国的主要货币。

Zimbabwe suffered economic collapse after years of government mismanagement. That caused the Zimbabwean dollar to inflate above 230 million percent.
在政府多年来的管理不善之后，津巴布韦遭受了经济崩溃。这导致津巴布韦货币膨胀了2.3亿个百分点。

Although the central bank printed a 100-trillion-dollar bill, it didn't buy much. A loaf of bread cost $300 billion. The currency was done away with in 2009.
虽然央行印制了100万亿元的钞票，它也买不到什么东西。一个面包就要3千亿元。该货币在2009年被废除。

The market has stabilized by the U.S. dollar. But Zimbabwe's cost of living is still about 60 percent higher than that of neighboring South Africa.
美元让市场稳定了下来。但是津巴布韦的生活成本仍然比邻国南非高出大约60%。

BancABC chief economist James Wade says the yuan increases Zimbabwe's options.
BancABC首席经济学家詹姆斯·韦德（James Wade）表示，人民币增加了津巴布韦的选择。

"It's not like we're forcing people to use the Chinese yuan," he said. "... we are expanding options that they can use."
他说，“我们并不是强迫人们使用人民币，我们只是让人们有更多选择。”

And, he notes, the context matters. China's president made a state visit to Zimbabwe this month, and signed many economic agreements. This included a billion-dollar loan for a thermal power plant.
他还指出事发背景非常重要。中国国家主席本月对津巴布韦进行了国事访问，并签署了多项经济协议，其中包括对一家火电厂项目提供数十亿美元贷款。

If this action brings in more Chinese investment and more development, Zimbabweans will profit, no matter what currency they use.
如果此举能引来更多中国投资，带来更大发展，不管他们使用哪种货币，津巴布韦都将会从中受益。

I'm Mary Gotschall.
我是玛丽·歌切尔。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利，未经授权请勿转载，违者必究！)

Zimbabwe announced last week that it would shift to the Chinese yuan as its reserve currency.

A reserve currency is a foreign currency held in large quantities by governments and financial institutions to pay international debts.

"Reserve currency is held in order to support the value of national currencies," writes Justin Kuepper, international investing expert, on the website International Invest.

Zimbabwe announced that it is adopting the Chinese yuan as its reserve currency. In this photo, a clerk counts 100 Chinese yuan banknotes at the China Merchants Bank in Hefei, China. (Reuters)

Patrick Chinamasa is Zimbabwe's Minister of Finance and Economic Development. He said China agreed to cancel about $40 million of Zimbabwe's debts this year.

He also said the move was a sign of the friendship between China and Zimbabwe, a poor country in southern Africa.

It is also a sign of the growing economic ties between China and Zimbabwe. China is Zimbabwe's largest foreign investor, with interests ranging from construction and energy to telecommunications.

China has also become the largest exporter of Zimbabwean products – mainly tobacco and minerals, such as gold and diamonds.

Local economists said Zimbabwe is flooded with foreign currencies since the inflated Zimbabwean dollar collapsed in 2009.

In 2014, the nation's central bank permitted traders to use the U.S. dollar, the South African rand, Botswana's pula, the British pound, the euro, the Australian dollar, the Indian rupee, the Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan.

Business consultant Phillip Chiconi says this announcement is unlikely to change things for the businessmen with whom he works.

"I don't think it will make much difference to anyone, as we're already using foreign currencies," he said.

Zimbabwe has allowed the yuan as a legal currency for two years. But Chiconi said he has not seen it used. Instead, most traders prefer the stability of the U.S. dollar, which is being used as the country's major currency.

Zimbabwe suffered economic collapse after years of government mismanagement. That caused the Zimbabwean dollar to inflate above 230 million percent.

Although the central bank printed a 100-trillion-dollar bill, it didn't buy much. A loaf of bread cost $300 billion. The currency was done away with in 2009.

The market has stabilized by the U.S. dollar. But Zimbabwe's cost of living is still about 60 percent higher than that of neighboring South Africa.

BancABC chief economist James Wade says the yuan increases Zimbabwe's options.

"It's not like we're forcing people to use the Chinese yuan," he said. "... we are expanding options that they can use."

And, he notes, the context matters. China's president made a state visit to Zimbabwe this month, and signed many economic agreements. This included a billion-dollar loan for a thermal power plant.

If this action brings in more Chinese investment and more development, Zimbabweans will profit, no matter what currency they use.

I'm Mary Gotschall.

Anita Powell and Sebastian Mhofu reported on this story for VOANews. Mary Gotschall adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

What do you think of China's yuan gaining strength in Africa? Let us know what you think in the Comments section below, or on 51VOA.COM.

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Words in This Story

construction – n. the act or process of building something (such as a house or road)

telecommunications – n. the technology of sending and receiving signals, images, etc., over long distances by telephone, television, satellite, etc.

inflate – v. to increase prices, costs, etc., in a way that is not normal or expected

collapse – v. to fail or stop working suddenly : to break down completely

stability – n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change

loaf – n. an amount of bread that has been baked in a long, round, or square shape

option – n. the opportunity or ability to choose something or to choose between two or more things

context – n. the situation in which something happens : the group of conditions that exist where and when something happens

thermal – adj. of, relating to, or caused by heat